Orange Versus Black
28th July 2019
ZMan wades in.
Just when you thought it was safe, after the Mueller testimony was a colossal flop, President Trump finds a way to get everyone outraged all over again. His tweets about Congressman Elijah Cummings and his congressional district, have all the usual suspects pointing and sputtering. Given the amount of pointing and sputtering they have had to do the last three years, it is a miracle that they can even sputter. It should not be possible to be outraged for three years, but here we are.
Of course, the usual suspects are howling about the racism, as Cummings is black and his district is a black carve out. It includes some of the worst parts of Baltimore city, which means the mostly black parts. The district is about 30% white, which is why Cummings wins his elections with ease. In 2018 he won with 76% of the vote. If you are white and trapped in one of these districts, voting is pointless. In fact, voting for anyone is pointless as the results are known in advance.
I don’t know of any areas in the United States where Republicans approach anywhere near to a ‘one-party state’ the way Democrats do in (a) predominantly black areas like most inner cities and (b) predominantly hipster areas like the Left Coast. How much this situation makes an oxymoron of their party name will be a fun subject for historians — if we last long enough.